To: All Members Boots Liffey Valley
Re: Recent Survey in Store
From: Eoin Griffin, Industrial Officer
Date: 15th January 2021
Dear Member
Please see below, correspondence sent to store management regarding the recent survey conducted in Boots Liffey Valley.
A meeting will be organised with all those who have expressed an interest in joining the newly constituted House Committee as a matter of priority, they will be contacted under separate cover.
Yours fraternally
For Mandate Trade Union
Eoin Griffin
Industrial Officer
By Email Only
14th January 2021
Ms. Geraldine Brannigan,
Store Manager,
Boots Liffey Valley,
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
Re: Covid-19 Concerns and Company Response
Dear Ms. Brannigan,
Following a general meeting of the membership of Mandate Trade Union in Boots Liffey Valley it was agreed that the union would circulate a short survey regarding the local response to Covid-19 and the ongoing concerns of our members. We received almost 100 responses, an unprecedented number in a short time period for a local store survey and the results can only be assumed to be representative of the feeling among our members. What follows below are the notable findings from the survey:
| Are you satisfied with the response of your employer with regard to the recent number of positive COVID-19 cases within your store? | Response |
| Yes | 13% |
| No | 87% |
| Which of the following are still happening in your workplace? | Response |
| Mask wearing by customers not being adhered to | 91% |
| Crowd Control Measures on entry/exit not being adhered to | 82% |
| Social Distancing not being adhered to | 65% |
| Shopping trollies/baskets not regularly sanitised | 58% |
| Insufficient Hand Sanitiser | 24% |
Furthermore we provided members with the opportunity to raise any particular concerns that they might have, what follows is an anonymised selection of same which provide an overview of the depth of frustration and anxiety at the company’s shortcomings thus far.
We had No water for about 6 hours every morning for about 4 days…no hot water when it was fixed..still no heating in store…staff wearing scarf’s and gloves..way to many people in store over xmass…no regular cleaning.
Staff were overwhelmed at multiple times over Christmas with the volume of customers in store, as many customers would gather in certain sections in an unsafe manner. Management was notified numerous times when the store had hit the maximum capacity, but deliberately doctored the counting device, significantly reducing the recorded number and told staff monitoring the door to keep allowing customers in. No running water or toilets for a few days over two weeks. No heating in the store.
Letters are been given to staff on the beauty hall to state they are “essential workers” so they can come to work when it is not essential for any staff member to be working on a beauty counter. Management are not communicating to the staff when cases are possitive keeping things very secret and they are all advising staff of different protocols following covid tests. No clicking in or out at the door. People allowes in with no masks so we feel unprotected.
Before this new level 5 lockdown way too many people were allowed into store social distance was almost impossible. If I seen too many in an isle I stepped out of it.
Cleaning staff not being kept up to date with covid in store.
It is very clear from the results of the survey that there is considerable worry and concern among Mandate members and the broader workforce in Boots Liffey Valley. It would seem incumbent on the company to reassess their approach thus far and make all necessary adjustments so that our members are safe at work.
I anticipate that the company will treat this correspondence with the importance its contents deserve and will make the requisite changes and alterations to their operations and communicate these to their employees and the undersigned. If such steps aren’t taken it will be incumbent on the undersigned to meet with local representatives to explore further options available.
Yours sincerely,
Eoin Griffin
Industrial Officer
CC All Mandate Members, Boots Liffey Valley